The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Aug. 27, 1996
Filed:
Dec. 07, 1994
Peter S Davidson, Jr, Lexington, KY (US);
Francis D Rafferty, Jr, Lexington, KY (US);
Gail M Songer, Lexington, KY (US);
Lexmark International, Inc., Greenwich, CT (US);
Abstract
Multiple host computers on a network are connected through an interface, or network adapter, to a printer having a printer controller capable of bi-directional communication with the computers on the network. The interface communicates with the network computers in a manner to present a different virtual printer to each host computer. The interface maintains a data set for each host computer which includes designations of the types of printer status information of interest to that host. The interface is capable of communicating with the printer controller to obtain a range of printer status information, and the interface communicates with each host computer to present printer status information of interest to that computer based upon that computer's data set. In the disclosed form of the invention, the interface notifies each interested host computer concerning types of printer status information to which changes have occurred; and the host computers communicate requests for more detailed information. This more detailed information is then obtained from the printer controller and provided to the interested host computers by the interface.